Archives for February 2016

Since [the night of the 2016 Oscars], all over Twitter, I’m seeing Non-Black POC (or NBPOC, for short) crying extra salty tears over the fact that Chris Rock only spoke up for Black people, and even criticizing “#OscarsSoWhite” for not being inclusive enough.

Never mind that the latter is an absolute lie — as it was made crystal clear by the Black Woman who created the hashtag that the movement was started for all people of color, not just Black people. But, thing is, even if it was only for Black people, so what?

We have our own history of racism and our own, unique issues to deal with, and we shouldn’t have to be expected to do the work for everyone else. Many of the NBPOC who were complaining had follower counts in the tens — even hundreds — of thousands…there’s absolutely nothing stopping these folks from starting and/or amplifying their own hashtags and movements.

Similarly to most any other socially aware Black person with an opinion on virtually anything of consequence, I’ve gone through my adult life being consistently and adamantly labeled by non-Black people as “Militant,” “Too Opinionated,” or — everyone’s favorite detracting tool — “Angry.” For the longest, I’d resented this term, because I never felt like I was coming from a place of anger, but simply from speaking my truth about issues I’d personally encountered and my discontent with many of them. I mean, maybe it’s just me, but I think I’m entitled to rant a bit over being called things like “Oreo” or “The Whitest Black Guy I Know” by more than one white gay man — or being chastised for being a bottom as opposed to the aggressive, Mandingo tops they like to stereotype us as being.